Um, This Gym Staple Has Over 300X More Bacteria Than Your Toilet Seat

If you're looking for an excuse to skip the gym this weekend, here's some news about how dirty the place you to go workout really is. While we all hope our fellow gym-goers put those disinfecting wipes to use after their last set, the unfortunate reality is, all gym equipment—from treadmills to dumbbells—are covered in bacteria.

Fit Rated recruited a lab to test the amount of bacteria on fitness equipment at several gyms and the results have us wanting to stick to running outdoors from now on. "Every time you pick up a weight or grab an exercise bike handle, you could be putting yourself at risk for an illness or infection," states the report. More than 70 per cent of bacteria swabbed in the study is potentially harmful to humans, including gram-positive cocci which can lead to skin infections, septicemia, and pneumonia.

Ready to really cringe? Free weights are covered in 362 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Exercise bikes and treadmills are not as bad, but still not far behind. Testing revealed that bikes carry 39 times more bacteria than a reusable cafeteria tray which means there is a risk of Bacillus, and can lead to ear, eye, and respiratory infections. Just remember all this next time you're at the gym and want to think twice about wiping down the fitness equipment you just used. If you're thinking what we're thinking, keep scrolling to shop weight lifting gloves to help protect your hands next time you hit the gym.